Photo of the Week: Winter Has Arrived

Winter has finally arrived in Budapest and Hungary. With lows of –23 over night and highs of –8 in the day, this is the coldest I’ve ever been in my life. Living in Vancouver for the majority of my life, I’ve never really be subject to the harsh winters that most people seem to associate with Canada. Having to walk around in –10 weather is definitely a first for me.

Most people assume that just because I’m from Canada, I am accustomed to this harsh and cold weather. Well, I make a terrible Canadian. I don’t like the cold. Vancouver rarely gets colder than –5 and even that is rare. I like my mild winters thank you.

Hungary has gotten the better end of the harsh winter though. Surround countries have reported many deaths due to the cold, especially with the vast amount of homeless. It has finally started snowing in Budapest. All my Hungarian friends have assured me that it snows quite a bit in the winter, but I haven’t seen it. Currently there is only about an inch of snow. Its expected to snow more, and its been snowing for 2 days now, but it doesn’t seem to accumulate.

Hungarians have an interesting way of snow removal. Most like to use a broom to sweep the snow away. I think I’ve only seen 2 shovels and at least a dozen brooms. It definitely makes for a quieter morning though! You don’t have to listen to the harsh sound of metal scraping against concrete, but the gentle swoosh of a brush against the ground.